cookies for Christmas.

This past Sunday morning was spent finishing up the last of the Christmas decorations, and my afternoon was spent making new traditions. I was baking Christmas cookies with my boyfriend's mom and sister. I chose "crinkle cookies" which were always my favorite as a child. I found my recipe here.

a natural Christmas.

This year while decorating the house, I tried to make it as "natural" as possible. I wanted to bring the outdoors inside.

                                                                  I love the stockings!

You can get so creative with vase fillers. I used old pine cones that I found at my parent's house, but you can purchase them here along with other vase fillers here & here.

Happy decorating!

in the Christmas spirit.

This weekend my boyfriend was out of town hunting and I figured it was a great time to get the house decorated for Christmas. I received a Christmas decoration care package filled with things to make the decorating even better.

1.  A Christmas CD with only the best melodies  
2.  Revlon, Cherry Crush nail polish
3. A yummy smelling Christmas candle 
4. Adorable red/white knee socks 

     ( 3& 4 available at Target, but not online) 

If you have yet to decorate for the holidays, I suggest you pour yourself a glass of wine, light a candle and blast your favorite choice of Christmas music. Feel free to leave your favorite things to do while decorating for the holidays. 

gobble, gobble!

 

 Have a great Thanksgiving everyone and let today be a reminder of what your thankful for.

let it snow, let it snow, let is snow.

The snow is falling and the snowflakes are quite large. Here is an adorable website that will let you make your very own virtual snowflake!

Have a great Turkey day everyone!

apple cider.

A cup of hot apple cider warms you right up and It's also a nice alternative to hot chocolate. This past weekend, my boyfriend and I spent Sunday doing some outside house work. We came indoors pretty chilly and I knew a cup of cider would solve the problem.

black friday is a' commin.

Yes, it's true. Black Friday is only t-minus 4 days away! If you happen to be one of the loyal shoppers to mingle among the crowds here are some websites to help with this years best deals:

1. Black-Friday.net
2. Theblackfriday.com
3. Blackfriday.info

also, be sure to sign up for specific retailers (i.e. Target & Best Buy) website alerts for the latest deals & coupons sent directly to your email.

Oh and P.S. You better be in the Christmas spirit while shopping, NO one likes a crabby shopper!

Have fun, and happy shopping!

it's a date!

It's Friday night and the weather is rather uninviting to be bopping around downtown. It's always nice to have ideas for a fun date night indoors. Tonight, my suggestion is to make it a pizza/wine and game night- with a slight twist of course!

The slight twist being instead of dialing your local pizza delivery boy, you MAKE the pizza. Pick up some pizza dough at your favorite pizza shop or you can purchase already made pizza dough at Trader Joe'

Thumb a list of possible toppings, you can go with just about anything these days. A few suggestions:

1.  A Gourmet White Pizza
2. A Wild Mushroom Pizza
3. Shrimp & Pesto Pizza
4. Fig & Prosciutto Pizza
5. A Classic Margherita Pizza

A great red wine suggestion to pair with your choice of pizza is: 

"Untamed Red"

And if your not the wine drinker and prefer beer, my boyfriend suggests:

Founder's "Dirty Bastard"

 
Have a great weekend!

get cuffed.

As I was skimming through the Anthropologie website yesterday, I noticed they are selling some fabulous cuff bracelets. Now I must admit- large cuff bracelets aren't even my favorite, but these were just so fun and pretty that I had to put them on here.

 

 1. Blooming Bramble Cuff- $42

2. Coverlet Cuff- $198

3. Patchwork Artifact Cuff- $128

4. Royal Tailor Cuff- $38

5. Orielle's Filigree Cuff- $48

five easy, impressive appetizers.

I'm always searching the internet to find new, easy appetizers to make that will impress family/friends. Here are 5 that caught my eye to make this holiday season.

1. Sweet Potatoes with pecans and goat cheese.

 

2. Baked brie with pecans.

 


















3. Sweet onion dip.

4. Grilled beef tenderloin on focaccia.

5. Blue cheese stuffed figs.

chocolate, chocolate chip cookies

I absolutely LOVE chocolate, so when I saw this recipe on Cupcakes and Cashmere I was inspired to make them.

Pour yourself a glass of milk, and help yourself to a chocolaty afternoon snack. They are SO good and will be gone in seconds!

check this out!

Asos.com is London's hottest on-line retailer and their site just opened for the U.S. to enjoy!

eyeshadow madness.

Anyone who knows me well enough knows I cannot apply make-up. It is a skill I have not acquired...yet. I say yet because at the age of 25 I'm wanting and willing to learn. My boyfriend's mom was sweet enough to do the "smokey eye" look I needed for my Halloween costume and that's where it all started.

We traveled to the MAC store and she purchased a blank eyeshadow pro palette to let me fill. Isn't she the best?!
You can choose to fill 4,6 or 15. I chose to fill 4 since I am just starting out and here are the colors I chose:

Shale

Brun

 

Shroom

Soba

These eyeshadow palettes are great ways to start. Here is a list of MAC eyeshadow bestsellers if my colors aren't your pick.

chapped lips.

One thing that comes along with cooler weather is dry, flaky, chapped lips. A couple tips to help make sure you can avoid this issue are:

1. Wear a great lip balm
2. Avoid licking your lips. (this causes them to loose moisture) 
3. Look for products that contain conditioning ingredients and sunscreen. (petrolatum & oxtinoxate)
4. Don't rely on gloss, (can be hard, I know) but this actually attracts the sun. 

For overnight repair, use a thicker salve. 

*source- Martha Stewart Living, Feb. 2010 

Picks to try: 
Aquaphor Healing Ointment- $ 5.99 (2-pack)

 Nivea, A Kiss of Moisture- $2.99

Kiehl's Lip Balm (clear)- $9.50

MAC Lip Conditioner- $14.50

chocolate truffles.

With the holidays nearing, most of us have parties to attend or relatives coming over. A yummy treat to bring as a hostess gift or have made for your guests are chocolate truffles.
*please excuse my Halloween sprinkles.

The process of making the truffles was really easy (slightly messy) and a lot of fun! I used this recipe here. 

Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

Melted Chocolate Chips

Sprinkles (coordinate with specific holiday)

Final Product, yum!

 

cheese & burger greatness.

While in Arizona, my boyfriend and I went to dinner at a place called Delux Burger. They not only have the greatest burgers, but have amazing fries to devour on the side.


There can be so many things these days that make up a great burger. My boyfriend and I like to come up with our very own burger creations. This website here is a great place to start. Pick your choice of meat, cheeses and accompaniments. Once the choices are made, head out to the store and purchase. You and your date of choice will have a fun time cooking the burgers together and enjoying the final product. Creating your own burger is a cheap, fun and entertaining date night idea.

Also, if you want to get really creative in the kitchen-check out this recipe!

*pictures from AZ are to come...

headin' to the heat.

My boyfriend and I are heading to the desert for the weekend. It's suppose to be in the low 90's. (according to weather.com) I love making these trips down to AZ because I know I'm in for some great mountain hiking, great food, and a lot of sun.

Have a great weekend!

winter wants.

With winter approaching it's a must to search for the proper gear to endure the cold. A girl living in MN can NEVER have enough winter gear to keep her warm. Here are some winter wants for this up and coming season.

Ugg Australia "Belted Cardy" Visor Cap, Heather Grey $55

The North Face " Nuptse" Jacket, Black $199

The North Face "Denali" Gloves, Weimaraner Brown $25

Ugg Australia "adirondack II" Boots, Otter $200

toasted marshallow shakes.

Last night, my boyfriend and I had family over while passing out candy to the little ones for Halloween. Like we didn't have enough sugar around the house already, I decided to make toasted marshmallow shakes for everyone. I had made a trial run (twice) the past week and my boyfriend LOVED them.

They are super easy and a yummy treat to indulge!

Get the recipe here.